The Daylight Award 2022

Nominations for The Daylight Award 2022, the dual prize for research and architecture are open until 30 September 2021. This is a unique opportunity for researchers and architects to acknowledge fellow professionals for their dedicated focus on daylight. 

One name, two prizes 

The dual prize is organized under the common name The Daylight Award with the purpose of creating a closer correlation between research and architecture, emphasizing the dependency of theory and practice and connecting the two worlds that should create synergies and strive for better living conditions. The Daylight Award strives to trigger fresh perspectives and provoke new ways of thinking among researchers and practitioners. 

The Daylight Award for Research will be given to an individual or a group of researchers whose work puts special emphasis on the effects of daylight on human health, well-being and performance. The jury will look for focus on daylight as a key element in the research work of the nominees. The nominations are open to all areas of research such as natural science, human science or social science. 

The Daylight Award for Architecture is awarded to individuals or a group of architects or other professionals whose projects and works showcase unique use of – and dedication to daylight. Special emphasis will be put on series of works that consider the overall quality of human life, its value to the society and impact on the environment. The Daylight Award will actively solicit nominations from professional organizations, architects, researchers and other professionals who have an expertise and interest in the field of daylight research and daylight in architecture. Additionally, the Award accepts individual nominations from professionals. 

The nominations will end by 30 September 2021. Mail address for sending the nominations: [email protected] 

The Jury will undertake deliberations during the following months, and the 2022 laureates will be announced on 16 May 2022. 

The 2022 jury 

The jury for the 2022 award represents a complementary and comprehensive knowledge of the international scientific and architectural world;

• Anne Lacaton, Principal of Lacaton & Vassal Architectes, Paris, laureate of The Daylight Award in 2011, winner of the EU Mies Award 2019 and The 2021 Pritzker Prize Laureate, associate Professor of Architecture & Design at ETH Zurich
• Dorte Mandrup, founder of Dorte Mandrup A/S, Copenhagen, chair of the Mies van der Rohe Award 2019, Adjunct Professor at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and holds frequent visiting professorships abroad
• Marilyne Andersen, Professor of Sustainable Construction Technologies and Dean of the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, and laureate of The Daylight Award in 2016 
• Gerd Folkers, Professor for Pharmaceutical Chemistry since at the ETH Zurich. He previously served at the Swiss National Science Foundation and has been director of the Collegium Helveticum since 2012. He has been a member of the Swiss Science Council and served as its President until 2019
• Russell Foster, Director of the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Head of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute at the University of Oxford. In 2020, Russell Foster was awarded with The Daylight Award for Research
• Juhani Pallasmaa, Finnish architect, writer, teacher and practicing architect who has lectured extensively across the world for more than 40 years. From 2009-2014, he served on the jury for the Pritzker Architecture Prize
• Koen Steemers, Professor of Sustainable Design, The Martin Centre for Architectural and Urban Studies, Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom with an extensive architectural research assessment experience

Previous The Daylight Award Laureates 

The three foundations behind the award have a long history when it comes to awarding best practice within daylight. Since 1980, VILLUM FONDEN, VELUX FONDEN and Velux Stiftung have rewarded the following professionals with daylight awards; Jørn Utzon (DK) (1980), Henning Larsen (DK) (1987), Bob Gysin (CH) (2007), Richard Perez (USA) (2008), Peter Zumthor (CH) (2010), James Carpenter (USA) (2010), Lacaton & Vassal (F) (2011), Gigon & Guyer (CH) (2012) and SANAA (JP) (2014),Steven Holl (USA) (2016), Marilyne Andersen (CH) (2016), Hiroshi Sambuichi (JP) (2018), Greg Ward (USA) (2018), Juha Leiviskä (FI) (2020), Russell Foster (UK) (2020) and Henry Plummer (US) (2020). 

About The Daylight Award

The Daylight Award honors and supports daylight research and daylight in architecture, for the benefit of human health, well-being and the environment. The award places specific emphasis on the interrelation between theory and practice. The Daylight Award was established by the philanthropic foundations VILLUM FONDEN, VELUX FONDEN and VELUX STIFTUNG, and is conferred biennially in two categories; The Daylight Award for Research and The Daylight Award for Architecture. 

The award is given as personal prizes, and each to the sum of €100,000. For more details, please visit www.thedaylightaward.com